County Loses Bias Suit

DIGEST

A federal jury awarded an Indian-born engineer $55,000 in damages on Thursday after the Broward County government employee argued that he was discriminated against when he was demoted four years ago.

Jaykumar Patel, 51, of Coral Springs, will be reinstated to his former position. He will get back pay -- the amount has not been decided -- and his legal bills will be paid.

County officials had demoted Patel, saying he was incompetent and could not communicate well. However, Patel`s attorney, William Amlong, said Patel had recently earned a master`s degree and has been appointed to a state board overseeing engineers` licenses.

Amlong said the decision is the first in the United States awarded under the Civil Rights Act of 1991, which allows juries to award compensatory damages in addition to back pay.

Attorney Denise Heekin, who represented the county, said Patel`s primary claim was that he had been passed over for a promotion because he was Indian. The jury rejected that claim, she said.